


Your Best Twin

by HallowedStone



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Undertale Pacifist AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-21 15:11:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9554108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HallowedStone/pseuds/HallowedStone
Summary: It’s been two years since monsters left the Underground.  Frisk has been living a peaceful life on the surface, but bad memories leave him feeling empty.  He returns to the Underground to retrieve an old friend, only to be mysteriously forced into a reset.  He must complete his adventure yet again, but this time he's not alone.How will this new presence change the timeline?  And what mysterious forces lurk in the shadows?





	1. The Dream

There was darkness.  In any direction, infinite nothingness.  Most would fear what lurks in the shadows, but Frisk was filled with nothing but an overbearing sense of loneliness.

Frisk: “Hello?  Is anyone there?”

Frisk called out to the darkness, hoping to hear a voice.  Nothing.  He called out again and again, but he heard nothing but silence.  He walked forward.  He would rather find the devil himself than stay there alone.  Several minutes passed, but Frisk found nothing.  He started running.

Frisk: “Is anyone out there?  Please, answer me!”

He tripped over himself and fell.  The ground was cold and hard, but he couldn’t manage to pick himself up.

Frisk: “If anyone is out there, please…”

He whimpered to himself, in hopes someone would hear him, but knowing deep in his heart that not a single soul would find him.

???: “You really are an idiot.”

Frisk nearly jumped out of his skin.  He bolted up, looking in every direction.  Still nothing.  He hung his head in silence, only to notice something at his feet.  A single golden flower with a familiar smug grin.

Frisk: “F-Flowey?”

Flowey: “Howdy!  You look pathetic.”

Frisk: “Flowey, where are we?  What’s going on?”

Flowey: “What does it look like?  It’s dark… empty… Isn’t it obvious?  This is where someone like me goes after it all ends.”

Frisk shuddered.

Flowey: “I thought you’d be smart enough to figure that out, but I guess you really are just an idiot as always.  That being said, I’m surprised you’re here too.  All the good you’ve done, all the friends you’ve made.  Even after everything, you’re all alone.  You even cried into the darkness for help, but nobody came.”

Frisk: “You came.  And if this is hell, then I belong here too.”

Flowey: “Pfft.  You can go to hell when you’re dead.”

Frisk: “What?  But you said…”

Flowey: “I was just messing with you.  You’re still just as gullible as when we met.  Listen, you can keep wasting your time feeling sorry for yourself if you want, but I know you’ll come back eventually.  And when that time comes, I’ll be waiting for you.”

Frisk felt a sudden pain in his head.  He was on the ground again, but it was no longer cold.  Carpet?  He sat up and looked around.  Sunlight peeked in through a nearby window, filling the room with its warm and comforting glow.  Next to the window he saw an inconveniently shaped lamp and a large wardrobe.  On the far side of the room from where Frisk sat was a door whose knob was on the same side as the hinges.  What a poor design choice.  Turning around, he realized where he was.  He was at home, and he had fallen out of his bed.

He picked himself up and started getting dressed.  He doubted he could fall back asleep.  Once fully dressed, he left his bedroom, the smell of a home-cooked breakfast filled the hallway.  He made his way to the kitchen.  A flurry of fire magic surrounded the stove, where Toriel was humming a tune that always made Frisk feel at home.  He sat at the table without a word.

Toriel: “Oh, good morning, my child.”

Frisk: “Good morning.”

Toriel: “You are just in time.  I was about to come wake you, but I heard you fall out of bed again.  I assumed you would wake from that.  Are you all right?"

Frisk: "I'll be fine."

Toriel smiled that motherly smile of hers, looking as if she wished to help somehow but knew she shouldn't pry.

Toriel: "If you say so.  Bon appetit.”

She set two plates in front of him.  One plate had bacon and eggs on it in the shape of a smiley face.  The other had a stack of pancakes with a lone candle flickering in the middle.

Frisk: “It’s not my birthday.  What’s with the candle?”

Toriel: “Have you forgotten what day it is?  Happy two year anniversary.”

Frisk: “Has it been two years already?  Time flies.”

Frisk couldn’t believe he had forgotten.  It had been two years since monsters were freed from the Underground.  It took a lot of work, but most humans warmed up to the idea of monsters on the surface surprisingly quickly.  Toriel already had a teaching license, Alphys was receiving grants from the government for her research, Mettaton had hit it big in Hollywood, and Asgore was even representing monsters in the United Nations.  Maybe time really does heal all wounds.  Frisk stared at the bacon-and-egg face on his plate.  It stared at him with a blissful grin, unaware it was going to be eaten.  Or perhaps it knew of its fate but was simply in denial.  Frisk almost felt like he could relate to his breakfast.

Toriel: “Are you not hungry?”

Frisk: “Wha- oh, I’m sorry.  Just lost in thought I guess.”

Toriel: “Is something the matter?”

Frisk: “No.  It’s nothing.”

Toriel: “Alright, but if something is troubling you, you know I am always here to listen.”

Frisk: “I know.”

But Frisk knew he couldn’t talk to her about his dream.  It brought back too many bad memories, which were also off limits for conversation.  He didn’t want Toriel to worry, so he tried to forget about it for now.  He wished that someone could understand.  He blew out the candle.

Toriel: “What did you wish for?”

Frisk: “I’m not supposed to tell you, or it won’t…”

Just then, Frisk got an idea.

Toriel: “Frisk?”

A smile lit up Frisk’s face.

Frisk: “Actually, there is a way my wish can come true, maybe even today.  Aren’t Papyrus and Sans taking me out to celebrate today?”

Toriel: “Yes, but what are you planning?”

Frisk: “Let’s just say I want to get back together with an old friend.”

Frisk started at his meal slowly, trying to savor the taste.  But Toriel’s cooking was too powerful, so he ended up scarfing it all down.


	2. Back to Where it All Began

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's not a hole lot of puns in this one. My knowledge of hole puns isn't very deep. Realizing that is just the pits.

Frisk stared into gaping hole before him, trembling.  He wasn’t sure if he was excited or anxious, but he surely wasn’t scared.  Either way, he wasn’t turning back now.

Papyrus: “Are you sure this is a good idea?  Perhaps The Great Papyrus should accompany you or maybe go instead.  Surely someone of my caliber can handle such a task.  Not that you can’t handle it alone, just…”

Frisk: “I know you’re worried, but I’ll be fine.  And I have to do this alone.  If all of us go down there we might spook him.  I know he’s your friend too, Papyrus, but I’m the only one who can talk him out of there.  Just trust me.  Sans, are you sure you don’t have some kind of shortcut to get me down there?”

Sans: “If I had one, I would have gotten out of the Underground a **hole** lot sooner.  You know, if I felt like going to all that trouble.  Guess you’ll just have to use the rope.”

Frisk: “I thought you might say that.  I don’t know how long I’ll be down there, but I have my phone in case anything goes wrong.”

Frisk peered over the edge.  He couldn’t see the bottom.  He let out a heavy sigh.

Sans: “You sure you’re feeling up to this?  It’s not too late to back out.”

Papyrus: “As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Sans.”

Frisk: “Thanks, guys.  But I have to do this.  I’ve already made up my mind.  Just don’t drop me.”

Papyrus tightly grabbed the rope with both hands, getting into a wide stance.  Sans stood behind him, holding the end of the rope with just one hand as he pulled a ketchup bottle out of his pocket and took a swig.  Frisk knew he was in good hands.  He checked his backpack to make sure he had his supplies, and he made sure the rope was tightly secured around his waist.  They slowly lowered him into the pit as the darkness swallowed him whole.  Several minutes went by, until familiar patch of golden flowers came into view.  Frisk wondered how far down he was.  He was amazed he had survived his initial fall.   He finally reached the bottom.

Frisk: “Flowey?  Flowey!”

He looked around, but he couldn’t see the flower he was looking for.

Frisk: “Asriel?”

A new flower sprouted in front of Frisk.

Frisk: “Hey…”

Flowey: “Hi… Seems as if everyone is perfectly happy.  Monsters have returned to the surface.  Peace and prosperity will rule across the land.  Take a deep breath.  There’s nothing left to worry about.”

Frisk: “If that were true, I wouldn’t be here.”

Flowey: “Well, there is one thing.  One last threat.  One being with the power to erase everything.  Everything everyone’s worked so hard for.”

Frisk knew every word of this speech by heart, and he knew there was no way out of it.  The guilt of it all weighed his head down until he was staring at his feet.

Flowey: “You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?  That’s right.  I’m talking about you.  You still have the power to reset everything.  Toriel, Sans, Asgore, Alphys, Papyrus, Undyne.  If you so choose, everyone will be ripped from this timeline and sent back to before all of this ever happened.  Nobody will remember anything.  You’ll be able to do whatever you want…  That power.  I know that power.  That’s the power you were fighting to stop, wasn’t it?  The power that I wanted to use.  But now, the idea of resetting everything…  I…  I don’t think I could do it all again.  Not after that.  So please, just let it go.  Let yourself be happy and live your life.  But, if I can’t change your mind…  If you do end up erasing everything…  You have to erase my memories too.  I’m sorry.  You’ve probably heard this a hundred times already, haven’t you?”

Frisk: “More than that, but that’s not why I came down here.”

Flowey stared blankly at Frisk for a few seconds.  Frisk struggled to find what he wanted to say.

Frisk: “I… I want you to come to the surface with me.”

Flowey: “Really?  That’s why you came back here?  You should already know how this conversation ends.  I told you I’m staying here.”

Frisk: “Don’t you feel lonely?  Isn’t there any part of you that wishes you weren’t down here by yourself?”

Flowey’s expression shifted to an angry grimace.

Flowey: “Oh, so that’s it.  You feel sorry for me?  I should have known.  You know I can’t feel anything.  Unless you’re here to taunt me, you’re wasting your time.”

Frisk: “ _I don’t want any of your worthless pity_.”

Flowey: “I don’t want any of yo- wait… How did you…”

Frisk: “I know you Flowey.  Like you said.  I’ve heard this speech before.  I’ve heard a lot from you.  I’ve tried over and over again, yet somehow you’re the only one who can never be happy.  But don’t worry.  I don’t pity you.  We both know you don’t deserve it.  Asriel might, but not you.”

Flowey: “I… wasn’t expecting that.  Maybe you’re not as much of a sap as I thought you were.  But what does that change?  What could possibly convince me to come with you?  And more importantly, why do you want me around if you hate me so much?”

Frisk: “I don’t hate you.”

Flowey: “Why not?  I’ve tried at every turn to make you miserable.  I tried to kill everyone.  I tried to kill you.  What could possibly make you not hate me?  Why are you even giving me the time of day?”

Frisk: “Because we’re the same!”

Flowey froze.  His face twitched, unable to decide on an expression.

Flowey: “What the hell do you mean we’re the same?”

Frisk: “I mean I’m no better than you.  I’ve reset the timeline over and over again.  I treated this world like my plaything.  I’ve befriended everyone, killed everyone, and everything in between.  At first I was scared, and I was just trying to defend myself.  But I went back because I felt guilty.  Eventually, I reset just to see what would happen, because I just had to know every possible outcome.  I kept making excuses for myself, telling myself I didn’t like it, that none of it mattered as long as I stopped on a good ending, but that never changed what I was doing.  Sound familiar?  I played with everyone’s lives, and I can’t live with myself anymore.  Not alone.”

Frisk wished he could cry, just to prove to himself he wasn’t dead inside.  But tears never came, and his voice was steady.  He truly felt as soulless as the flower in front of him.

Frisk: “I wanted to talk to someone about it, but nobody would understand.  They’d just get confused or tell me it was all a bad dream.  Or even worse, maybe deep down they’d believe me, and they’d never look at me the same.  That alone led to a few resets.  I’m tired of bottling it all up.  I’m tired of everyone blindly telling me how kind and nice I am.  I’m tired of feeling completely alone when I’m surrounded by everyone I care about.  I just want someone who won’t judge me, who won’t pity me, and who knows what I’ve been through.  And that’s why I want you to come with me.  I need you, and I was hoping you’d need me too.”

Flowey’s mouth hung open.  If a bug flew into his mouth, he probably wouldn’t notice.  Frisk expected some snide remark, but he saw Flowey left almost completely speechless for the first time.

Flowey: “I…  I don’t know what to say.  You… really did all that?  You killed everyone in another timeline?”

Frisk: “Well, almost…  I made it pretty close to the end, but a certain _smiley trashbag_ got in my way.  I tried over and over again, but never beat him.  At some point, I quit out of frustration, but then I decided it was for the best and gave up for good.”

Flowey: “Sans, huh?  I can relate.”

They both chuckled and smiled awkwardly at each other.  Frisk reached into his backpack and pulled out a plant pot and a trowel.

Frisk: “So, have you changed your mind?  I’m sure there’s a lot more we can talk about.”

Flowey: “I won’t be a burden?”

Frisk: “I’ve handled worse than a flower with a bad attitude.  And if you can promise you won’t cause trouble, I can promise there won’t be any more resets.”

Flowey: “Can I add another condition?”

Frisk: “Like what?”

Flowey: “Don’t tell anyone who I am.  As far as Toriel and Asgore are concerned, their son is dead.  I’d rather not open old wounds.  Plus, I don’t want to deal with all the mushy crap without a soul.  It’s annoying, like listening to someone go on and on about their stupid sock collection.”

Frisk: “No problem.  Your secret is safe with me.”

Frisk dug a hole around Flowey, hoping to avoid his roots.  He carefully transferred Flowey into the pot.

Flowey: “It’s a little cramped in here.  Are you sure you don’t have something bigger?”

Frisk: “It’s all I have on me right now, but when we get to the surface I’m sure we can find a bigger one for you to… do whatever your equivalent of running around is.  Will you be okay for now?”

Flowey: “I suppose.  It’s kinda like not having leg room, so I can manage for a little while.  It’s just uncomfortable.”

Holding Flowey tightly, Frisk tugged on his rope.  The rope lots its slack, and he was hoisted off the ground.

Flowey: “Who’s at the top?”

Frisk: “Our favorite pair of Ske-”

A loud snap rang through the cavern.  Frisk hit the ground with a thud.  Flowey spilled out of the flower pot.

Flowey: “Frisk!  Are you okay?”

Frisk sat up slowly, feeling dazed.

Frisk: “I think so.  These flowers are surprisingly good at cushioning a fall, and it’s not nearly as bad as falling from the top.  Looks like the rope broke, and it seems most of it ended up down here.  And I’m pretty sure that was our only rope.”

Frisk pulled out his cell phone.  No reception.

Frisk: “Figures.  Guess we’re stuck.  We’ll have to walk through the whole Underground if we want to get out of here.  Better get started.”

Frisk sent Papyrus a text, hoping he would get it.  Flowey burrowed his roots into the soil, noticeably expressing his relief.

Flowey: “If that’s the case, I’ll wait on the flower pot.  I don’t want to be in it any longer than I have to.  I’ll meet you in the Throne Room.  Don’t keep me waiting.”

Flowey disappeared into the ground.  Frisk threw up his hands in disbelief, muttering to himself.

Frisk: “Gee, thanks for offering to walk with me, Flowey.  I sure wanted some company.  You’re a true friend.  Stupid weed.”

Frisk stood up.  He began walking at a brisk pace.  After passing through the first doorway, he saw it.  The option to reset.  Big, white, blocky letters that he knew only he could see, not than anyone else was there to look.  He let out a sigh.

Frisk: “Sorry, but not today.”

He found solace in saying that out loud.  Suddenly, the words flickered.  He thought he might have imagined it, but then it happened again.  The words in front of him began to flicker and warp violently, almost like static on a television.

Frisk: “That’s not right…”

He decided he had to get out of there quickly.  He started his walk forward, but stopped in his tracks as the words above his head stopped flickering.  The word “RESET” turned yellow.  He shook his head in disbelief.

Frisk: “No...”

The next think Frisk knew, he woke up face-down in a bed of golden flowers.


	3. Stunt Double

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mirror mirror in front of me, how close can the resemblance be?

Frisk lay in the flowers, unmoving.  There was an absence of weight on his back, meaning his backpack must be gone.  He wasn’t sure what to do, so he did nothing for a while.

Frisk: “What just happened?  Why am I back here?  I didn’t really reset, did I?  I… I didn’t mean to.  I can’t do this all again.”

For the first time in ages, Frisk was afraid.  He even started to cry, feeling a bittersweet relief that he wasn’t completely empty.  He began to feel an unbearable pain, as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest.  He heard a thud behind him.  He quickly got up and whirled around, only to see another human on the ground in front of him.  The human had brown hair and a blue and pink striped shirt.  For a moment, Frisk thought they might….  No, it couldn’t be.  Frisk let out an uneasy chuckle at how ridiculous the thought sounded.

Frisk: “Weird, I’ve never met someone with the same fashion sense as me.  Well, one of us is going to have to go change.”

The body let out a moan.  Frisk stepped back, tripping on a stick and falling on his butt.  The body spoke.

Human: “Huh?  Who said that?”

Frisk panicked and picked up the stick, holding it in front of himself.  The other human slowly rose, but only made it to their knees.  They looked up, revealing their face.  Frisk felt like he could scream, but nothing came out.  He began to feel dizzy.  There was no denying it.  This other human.  Frisk knew them.  Their face and voice were all too familiar.  They were his own.  The other Frisk looked around, eventually locking eyes with the original.  His eyes scrunched into an angry scowl.

Frisk?: “Who are you, and what are you doing here.”

Frisk: “M- Me!?  I should be asking you that!  More importantly, why do you look exactly like me?”

The other’s expression turned to one of confusion.

Frisk?: “What are you talking about?  We don’t even have the same skin tone.”

Frisk looked at his hands.  He knew his hands… well… like the back of his hands.  They were surely his, and the ones on the other Frisk looked the same from where he was.  He went in to get a closer look.  The copy backed away.

Frisk?: “W- What are you doing?  Get back!”

Frisk: “Give me your hands.”

Frisk forcefully grabbed his double’s hands.  Upon closer inspection, they were definitely exactly the same.  Down to the fingerprints, he couldn’t find a single difference.  The doppelganger stared at his own hands in disbelief.

Frisk?: “These… aren’t my hands.  Come to think of it, this isn’t my voice either.”

Frisk: “You look like me.  You sound like me.  But you say you’re not me.  So if you’re not me, then who are you?”

Frisk?: “You tell me first.  If I’m stuck in this body, I might as well know who it belongs to.”

Frisk: “My name is Frisk.  Now tell me who you are.”

His twin stood up to face him, extending his hand.

Frisk?: “Greetings.  I am Chara.”


	4. Sharing is Caring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this complicates things...

Frisk did not move.  His heart skipped a beat… or five.  With all that had happened in the last hour, he worried his hair might go grey by the time he reached adolescence.  Then again, he wasn’t sure he would get that far after this unwelcome reset.

Chara: “When someone offers their hand, you’re supposed to shake it.  Or are you from somewhere that doesn’t do that?  Is bowing more appropriate?”

Frisk: “You shouldn’t be here, you should be dead.”

Chara: “That is rude.”

Frisk: “That’s not what I mean.  If you’re Chara, then you really should be dead.  You and Asriel both died years ago.”

Recollection flashed in Chara’s eyes.  He was visibly hurt by the memory that was just uncovered.

Chara: “Oh…  I can’t believe I forgot…  But how do you know about that?”

Frisk: “I know almost everything there is to know about the Underground.  By the way, I’ve always wanted to ask… Why buttercups?  You couldn’t have picked a slower and more painful way to die.  After Asgore got sick, it should have been a pretty good hint that it was a bad idea.”

Chara: “I don’t see why I should justify myself to you, especially with your unwarranted criticism.

Frisk: “Chill out, I was just curious.”

Chara: “I don’t even know who you are, yet you seem to already know a disturbing amount about me.”

Chara went on, but Frisk stopped listening.  He wasn’t in the mood for a lecture, and he wanted to get back to the surface.  Back to his life.  He turned and walked away.

Chara: “… and you still expect me to ans- Hey!  Where do you think you’re going?”

Frisk: “I don’t have time for your suspicions.  I have places to be and things to do.  All I wanted was an answer to a simple question, but obviously talking to you is getting me nowhere.  I’m not in the mood for idle chit-chat unless I get something out of it.  If you want me to explain what I know, I’ll be happy to oblige.  I’m just nice like that.  But you’ll have to follow me, because I’m leaving.”

Chara: “And where do you plan on leaving to?”

Frisk: “The surface.”

Chara raised an eyebrow.

Chara: “You can’t.  There’s a barrier keeping us down here.”

Frisk: “Well, then I’ll just have to break it again.”

Frisk turned around and started walking.  Chara followed close behind.

Chara: “Hold on!  What do you mean, ‘again’?”

Frisk let out an impatient sigh.  Chara was asking so many questions without answering many.  Maybe Frisk just had to be patient.

Frisk: “If you want to know, you’ll just have to follow me.  Just stay close and don’t say anything.”

Flowey sat in the center of the room they were entering.  Frisk wondered if Flowey remembered him, or if the reset had taken his memories.  There was only one way to find out.  They both approached the flower, Chara cautiously trailing behind Frisk.

Flowey: “Howdy!  I’m Flowey.  Flowey the flower.  Hmmm…  You two are new to the Underground, arent’cha?  Someone oughtta teach you how things work around here.  I guess little old me will have to do.  Ready?  Here we go!”

He didn’t remember.  Frisk looked toward Chara as his soul flashed into view.  It had the same red hue as Frisk’s own soul, but it was only half of the heart shape Frisk had expected.  Frisk felt something tugging at his soul.  He looked down at his chest to find half of his soul missing.  His and Chara’s soul halves flew out of their bodies to join between them, still having a small but visible crack down the middle.

Flowey: “Hm?  That’s odd.  I’ve… never seen that before.  From the looks of it, you two share a soul…”

Frisk instinctively willed his soul closer to him.  It followed his desires, but only until it was pulled toward Chara.  Could they really control one soul between them?  And why were they sharing a soul in the first place?  His mind was racing with so many questions he couldn’t answer.  But it would have to wait.

Flowey: “Either way, that’s your SOUL, it’s the very culmination of your being.  Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain lots of LV.  What does LV stand for?  Why, LOVE, of course!  You want some LOVE don’t you?”

Chara looked toward Frisk, skeptical.  Frisk shrugged.  There was no reason to tell him anything yet, especially with Flowey in earshot.

Flowey: “Don’t worry, I’ll share some with you!  Down here, LOVE is shared through… little white… ‘friendliness pellets.’  Are you ready?  Move around!  Get as many as you can!”

The soul immediately moved out of the way.  It seemed Chara knew what Flowey was up to, but Frisk was too impatient to waste time.  With all his might, he moved the soul into the path of the pellets.  Chara let out a pained gasp, and they both fell to their knees.  Frisk had forgotten how much that hurt, but at least this way things would go faster.

Flowey: “You idiot.  In this world, it’s kill or be killed.  Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this!?”

A swarm of pellets surrounded the soul.

Flowey: “Die.”

The pellets closed in as Flowey cackled with laughter.  Chara had a look of despair on his face.  Frisk whispered in Chara’s direction.

Frisk: “3…2…1…”

The pellets disappeared.  Floweys confusion that followed was wiped away as a fireball launched him out of the ground and across the room, out of sight.  Toriel stepped out of the shadows.

Toriel: “What a terrible creature, torturing such poor, innocent youths…  Ah, do not be afraid my children.  I am Toriel, Caretaker of the ruins.  I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down, humans like you.  You are the first humans to come here in a long time.”

Chara: “Mom?”

Frisk cursed under his breath.  He forgot about Chara’s relationship with Toriel.  How could he be so careless?

Toriel: “Huh?  Did you just call me… ‘Mom’?”

If Toriel recognized Chara, it could be very bad.  Having to explain it would be complicated in itself, but doing so now could also be bad for their journey.  There’s no way she’d let her revived-from-death son leave her side again, even if he was adopted.

Toriel: “Well… I suppose… would that make you happy?  To call me… ‘Mother’?  Well then, call me whatever you like!  Come! I will guide you through the catacombs.”

Toriel continued on without them.  Frisk waited for her to leave the room.

Frisk: “That was close.  I thought I said ‘don’t say anything’.”

Chara looked as if Toriel had just told him she never loved him.  Frisk half expected him to cry.

Chara: “She didn’t recognize me…”

Frisk: “Of course not!  You look like me.  And you might not believe me, but that’s a good thing.  We can’t deviate from how things are supposed to go.  At least, not too much.  Otherwise… well, I don’t even want to think about what kind of crazy stuff would happen.”

Chara threw his finger in Frisk’s face.

Chara: “That’s it!  Start talking!”

Frisk: “What?”

Chara: “What is going on?  Why did you intentionally hurt us?  How do we even share a soul?  What all happened after I died?  Why are you acting like you know everything that’s going to happen?”

Frisk: “Woah, slow down!  Look, I can’t answer all those questions right now.  Some I’m not even sure how to answer, but I guess I can’t keep you in the dark about everything.  If we can try to get along, and if you do what I say, I’ll explain what I can.  The rest you just have to figure out for yourself.  Is that agreeable?”

As frustrated as it made him, he knew that demanding an equal exchange of information wouldn’t get him far with Chara, especially if he didn’t trust Frisk yet.  And it seemed Chara knew even less than he did.  He still wanted to learn more about Chara, but maybe getting there would take time.

Chara: “… I suppose, but how soon can you start explaining things?”

Frisk: “We should probably get going for now.  Toriel might start to wonder where we are, and she can’t hear any of this.  At least not yet.  Once we have time alone, I’ll give you the short version.”

Chara: “Fine.”

They held out their hands and disdainfully shook on it.

Frisk: “Then it’s settled.  Let’s get going.”


	5. Tu-Toriel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you share your favorite game with a friend, and you look at them with that "are you having fun yet" face, but it just weirds them out.

Chara: “What is that light over there?”

Frisk looked ahead to see the familiar glow of a SAVE point beneath a doorway.  Toriel passed through the doorway as they entered the room

Frisk: “You can see that?”

Chara: “No, I just like to point out things that aren’t there.  It’s fun.  Makes people think you’re _crazy_.”

Frisk: “…Sarcasm aside, I’m surprised.  I’m usually the only one who can see it.  Here, follow me.”

They approached the light.  Frisk felt rejuvenated just looking at it.

Frisk: “Okay, now touch it.”

Chara: “What?”

Frisk: “Did I stutter?  Just touch it.”

Chara: “What even is this thing?”

Frisk: “You ask a lot of questions.  If all goes well, you won’t have to find out.  Can’t you just trust me?”

Chara rolled his eyes.

Chara: “Whatever.”

Chara and Frisk touched the light together.  Frisk saw a clear picture in his mind of their SAVE forming.  Frisk felt… like something was missing.

Frisk: “Huh…”

Chara: “What’s wrong?”

Frisk: “It’s… quiet.”

Chara: “Is it not supposed to be?”

Frisk: “I usually hear… something like… a voice in my head when I do this.  You don’t hear anything either?”

Chara: “Forget what I said earlier.  **That** makes you sound crazy.”

Where could that voice be?  Frisk had always heard… no… _felt_ it before.  By now, he knew the voice’s words by heart.  It felt wrong for it to be absent.

Frisk: “The shadow of the Ruins looms above, filling you with determination.”

Chara: “What?”

Frisk: “Well, if we don’t have that voice, _I guess little old me will have to do_.”

Chara: “Ugh…  Suit yourself.”

They followed Toriel to the next room.  She was there to greet them.  Frisk recognized the puzzle she had shown him dozens, if not hundreds of times, on the floor next to her.

Toriel: “Welcome to your new home, innocent ones.  Allow me to educate you in the operation of the RUINS.”

She stepped on the buttons and flipped the switch on the wall to open the next door.

Toriel: “The RUINS are full of puzzles.  Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys.  One must solve them to move from room to room.  Please adjust yourself to the sight of them.”

They all went through the door to the next room.

Toriel: “To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches.  Do not worry, I have labeled the ones you need to flip.”

She moved on to let them complete the task.  Frisk and Chara quietly flipped the very clearly labeled switches.

Toriel: “Splendid!  I am proud of you, little ones.  Let us move to the next room.”

The next room was empty except for a lone dummy.

Toriel: “As a human living in the UNDERGROUND, monsters may attack you.  You will need to be prepared for this situation.  However, worry not!  The process is simple.  When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT.  While you are in a FIGHT, strike up a friendly conversation.  Stall for time.  I will come to resolve the conflict.  Practice talking to the dummy.”

Frisk leaned over and whispered to Chara.

Frisk: “This one’s all you.”

Chara: “M-Me?”

Frisk: “No, the other human in the room.  Come on, this is easy.  Don’t expect me to do everything.  That’s no fun.”

Chara: “I think you’re the only one here worried about having fun.”

They approached the dummy.  Frisk was brimming with excitement.  He was never able to share this adventure with someone before.  They were still in the Ruins, but this was the most fun he’d had in ages.  He tried his best to hold it back and appear calm.

Frisk: “You encountered the Dummy.”

Chara: “Is that really necessary?”

Frisk: “A cotton heart and a button eye, you are the apple of my eye.”

Chara: “I suppose I can’t stop you either way, can I?  Uh… Hello, dummy.  Heh.  How’s the wife?”

They stood in silence for a moment.

Frisk: “It doesn’t seem much for conversation.”

Chara: “Really?  I hadn’t noticed.”

Frisk: “TORIEL seems happy with you.”

Toriel: “Ah, very good!  You are very good.”

They continued on into the next room.

Toriel: “There is another puzzle in this room…  I wonder if you can solve it?”

As Toriel went ahead, a Froggit jumped in the way of Frisk and Chara.

Frisk: “Froggit attacks you!  Life is difficult for this enemy.”

Chara grabbed the stick Frisk was holding and threw it in the Froggit’s direction.  It hit the Froggit square in the head.  It let out a pained ribbit.

Frisk: “What are you doing!?”

A shadow loomed over the Froggit.  It turned around to see Toriel glaring at it.  It fled, defeated.  Toriel scoffed and turned around to continue on.  Frisk lowered his voice.

Frisk: “Did you not listen to her earlier?”

Chara: “I did, and I stalled.”

Frisk: “I need to teach you to be nicer.”

Frisk was starting to worry.  He remembered Asriel mentioning that Chara wasn’t the nicest person.  He hoped this was just an instinctive reaction and not something that would repeat itself.  Frisk knew he had to nip this in the bud as soon as they were away from Toriel.

Toriel: “Children?”

They hurried to her side.

Toriel: “This is the puzzle, but…  Here, take my hands for a moment.”

She safely guided them across a spiked floor.

Toriel: “Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now.  You have done excellently thus far, my children.  However… I have a difficult request to ask of you.  I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourselves.  Forgive me for this.”

She ran ahead at breakneck speed.  Frisk motioned to Chara to follow him.  They ran to the end of the room without a word.  Toriel emerged from behind a pillar.

Toriel: “Greetings, my children.  Do not worry, I did not leave you.  I was merely behind this pillar the whole time.  Thank you for trusting me.  However, there was an important reason for this exercise.  To test your independence.  I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while.  Please remain here.  It’s dangerous to explore by yourselves.  I have an idea.  I will give you a CELL PHONE.  My apologies.  I don’t have enough for both of you.  But if you have need for anything, just call.  Be good, alright?”

Toriel handed Frisk the cell phone and left the room.  Frisk turned to Chara.

Frisk: “Now that she’s gone, and there are no other monsters nearby, it’s time I told you a story.  You might want to sit down.”


End file.
